Satirists have long decided that Trump is not merely bizarre – he is demented. Cartoon after cartoon depicts him trussed up in a straitjacket, or features his “crazy” hair (and what’s underneath it). A Borowitz headline declares: “Trump Accuses Media of Not Reporting Voices in His Head.” And on and on. But satirists always exaggerate and distort. To them most politicians are at least a little bit crazy. But now we have academic authority to suggest that their assessments are, in fact, witty versions of reality. Over 25,000 mental health professionals have signed a public petition calling for the removal from office of President Trump on the grounds that he is mentally incompetent. Their right to do so has been challenged by a number of members of fthe American Psychiatric Association. They say the petition conflicts with its “Goldwater rule” – that no member of their profession should publicize an opinion on the mental health of anyone they have not personally counseled (following a publicised negative assessment of the Republican candidate in 1964, which had led to a successful libel suit by Goldwater). However, the anti-Trump petitioners argue the profession’s diagnostic tools have vastly improved since 1964, and that to ignore the danger to the public welfare from Trump’s gross symptoms would be a betrayal of their professional ethic. Here’s my take on the issue:

Some psychologists are saying with no ifs or ands or butsIn their academic language they are telling us he’s nuts.They’ve diagnosed his problem and it’s not a mystery:Narcissistic personality disorder (npd)

Now most of us like compliments, we don’t like to be shamedBut those with npd must be incessantly acclaimed.If you question them in any way they say you’re telling liesTheir picture of what’s happening reality defies.

And that, these academic say, is true of Donald TrumpA world devoid of constant praise would be too big a jump.So the only ones he listens to are those he’ll sure will stateHe’s fantastic, he’s amazing, and he’ll make this country great.

Against this diagnosis we are warned not to ignoreGoldwater was a target back in 1964.Psychologists declared he wasn’t fit to make the raceHe was beaten in a landslide, but he sued and won his case.

Still, as compared with Donald and his self-admiring hypeBarry seemed a model of a well-adjusted type.Language that’s offensive I most commonly abhorBut Trump’s a different type than we have ever seen before.

Is he really npd? I’m not qualified to tellBut as a layman there is something I can understand quite well.I find him so appalling, if I watch him every dayIt won’t be very long before they carry me away,

Posted on Monday, February 27, 2017 (Archive on Sunday, November 24, 2019)